In 2010, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission found that up to 40 percent of Afghan youth, which comprise more than half of the country’s population, were engaged in labor. War, widespread poverty, and the high unemployment rate have spawned much insecurity and instability, which in turn has resulted in a large underage labor market. The Afghanistan problem of child labor stems from prevailing poverty and, although the current government has attempted to establish some sort of labor and education codes, it continues to enlarge due to societal norms that the Taliban had installed during its former rule.
According to the World Bank, the average annual income in Afghanistan is only $370, which makes families weigh the trade-offs between work and school. While schooling is free, the quality of education is poor due to overcrowded classrooms and unqualified teachers, especially in urban areas. Learning a skill at work that will give a child a chance to support families in the short term is perceived more beneficial by parents than sitting in a low-quality classroom.
The determining factors for families sending children to work are not only economic but also heavily social, according to Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit. Household composition and community values affect the availability of labor resources, which can result child labor. The values of Afghan communities prohibit mothers from working outside the home and since many Afghan households lack a father or other male figure due to death in war or illness, male children are more likely to work to compensate for the lack of adult male income. The Taliban had first established the value of female isolation during its reign and has been since embedded in Afghani societal norms. Some exceptions exist, as some women do decide to work to prevent child labor, but this results in great decline in the family reputation.
When the Russians withdrew Afghanistan in 1988 after 10 years of fighting, a power vacuum arose, into which the Taliban stepped in. The warfare and Taliban rule created much instability throughout the region (Background Note: Afghanistan), which resulted in widespread instability and poverty. Since the ousting of the Taliban from Afghanistan in 2001, the government took steps in attempt to eliminate child labor. Its 2004 Constitution states, “forced labor on children shall not be allowed” (Foster et al) and set new Labor Codes, which set the minimum working age to 18, in 2007. However, specific legislation is scarce and the enforcement of laws is practically nonexistent.
Countries around the globe have attempted to help Afghanistan address this issue. For example, Japan has provided $ 4 million to provide literacy and vocational training while UNICEF and other agencies work to provide better education. Although positive outcomes exist, there are still long ways to go; specifically, in breaking the cycle of poverty and in shaving away strong societal mindsets.
Nichols, Michelle. "Child Labor Helps War-torn Afghan Families Survive." Rawa News. 19 Dec. 2010. Web. <http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2010/12/19/child-labor-helps-war-torn-afghan-families-survive.html>.
Sim, Amanda. "Confronting Child Labour in Afghanistan." Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (2009). Print.
Foster, Erin, and Stefanie Nijssen. "Afghanistan - Social Well-being: Child Labor and Trafficking." Civil-Military Fusion Centre (2010): 1-8. Print.
 |
A 16-year old Blacksmith apprentice, who has been working for 8 years.
http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0208/cc04.htm |
 |
A boy carrying plastic water jugs (Kabul factory)
http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0208/cc07.htm |
Response to Aleksandra by Christine:
ReplyDeleteI agree with Aleksandra in that there are socioeconomic and political factors that left the Afghans no other choice but to initiate child labor, but there are some things that she did not mention in regards to the economic portion. Many Afghan families are in “a seemingly endless cycle of poverty that keeps them indebted to their employers” (Kamber). Due to their poverty, men borrow money from their employers and in turn become indentured servants. They are paid pennies for hours of work and at times their children are held as collateral. If the child’s father is not able to finish paying off his debt before he dies, the child works, basically as a slave, in place of him and continues this cycle. According to Kamber, “It is illegal for children younger than 15 to work long hours or do heavy labor, and the government says it is trying to provide education and help to families so they do not have to send their children to work at the kilns.” Shockingly, many of the bricks produced as a result of child labor are used by NATO, the very force attempting to eradicate the issue. Although the quality of education is poor, as Aleksandra mentioned, the boy in the news article by Kamber stated, “I don’t like this job…I want to go to school and to become a doctor to serve my people and my country.” Child labor not only affects the future of Afghanistan, but the life span of the children themselves who often die young due to the toxic fumes and extreme weather they have to endure. As Aleksandra stated, many countries such as Japan have been donating money in the hopes of improving the education of Afghan children. Unlike Japan, the United States has begun to decrease the amount of aid it has been donating to Afghanistan which can potentially harm the safety of the Afghan children and lead to an increase in child labor.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/world/asia/16kiln.html?pagewanted=2&ref=afghanistan
Response to Aleksandra by Cathlynne:
ReplyDeleteAlthough Aleksandra's socioeconomic and political reasons all have a part in contributing to child labor, I believe that she spent much little time explaining more in depth on the social aspect of it. Reihing states that many of the children in Afghanistan had to choose between work and an education. What he mentions specifically is that their parents had a large say in what their children would be doing. Most was based on personal experiences and what is actually available to them in their community. Aleksandra also briefly mentions how some countries have attempted to help Afghanistan escape this cycle of poverty and child labor. The problem with this is that even though there are a few positive outlooks into looking at this situation, the cycle could not possibly find a solution only through the help of other countries. More than anything, Afghanistan's laws on child labor and education must be enforced for the cycle to end. Without this being enforced, Afghanistan will be stuck in this poverty which will indeed keep the children of Afghanistan working.
I agree with Aleksandra's notion that unenforced child labor laws, the Taliban's various social and economic effects, and a poor educational system all factor into the cycle of child labor. I agree that the Taliban is the cause for many family's breadwinners to be incapacitated, creating the need for children to work. The Taliban is also to blame for the thought that women should not work out of the house, but they do help provide income by baking bread or washing clothes. (Kantor) Additionally, Aleksandra's comments on the poor educational system is supplemented by the UNHCR, “Only one quarter of all school buildings are classified as ‘useable’. Some schools are too distant for children to attend and most schools are overcrowded, often serving two to three shifts of students per day” Finally, even though Japan is currently funneling aid to Afghanistan, Rotman claims that, since the war is ending, many countries will discontinue their financial aid. This may include Japan, since they still have to deal with recovering their own economy after the earthquake and tsunami last year. Since this aid will soon be gone, the Afghan families will be in an even worse situation, forcing them to rely more heavily on child labor to acquire essential goods.
ReplyDeleteWhoops that above comment was mine (Kevin Do)
ReplyDeleteConcluding Response - Aleksandra
ReplyDeleteThank you for all your input. I still stand by my original argument that the Taliban had a strong political and social influence that caused the rise of poverty and consequently, the increase of child labor. However, as Christine pointed out, I had neglected to mention how families must borrow money in order to buy necessities since the income levels are so low while the cost of living is so high. This further cements Afghans into the cycle of poverty and desperation, leading to the use of child labor.
Kevin also correctly commented that once countries like Japan and the US cease giving aid to Afghanistan, the Taliban will have more opportunity to rise to power, putting Afghan families in a worse situation. This will most likely spike child labor levels even further. Cathlynne also lengthened the social discussion of my blog by stating that parents’ decision about whether to send their children to school or to work is based strongly on personal experiences. All of these comments contributed constructively to my original blog, which discusses the socioeconomic and political aspects of the huge issue at hand. Child labor in Afghanistan is affected by several factors, all of which must be resolved in order to give back children their rights to thrive, instead of just surviving as they are currently doing.